Juventino Meza, Esq.

Juventino Meza is a formerly undocumented, queer immigrant who became one of Minnesota’s first undocumented law school graduates and is now a licensed attorney, nationally recognized speaker, and advocate for justice, democracy, and belonging.

Born in Mexico and raised in Minnesota, Juventino navigated life, school, and activism without legal status. As a founding member of NAVIGATE MN (now Unidos MN), he helped build Minnesota’s first immigrant-led effort to support undocumented youth through leadership, higher education, and policy change. He played a key role in the movement that led to President Obama’s creation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012 and the passage of the Minnesota Prosperity Act in 2013.

Juventino has worked at the intersection of immigration, public policy, Latino communities, and democracy for over two decades. He co-founded Capitol Pathways, a program to diversify Minnesota’s policy sector, and helped pass key initiatives such as the Minnesota Green Bank in 2022, a landmark investment in environmental and economic equity.

A longtime LGBTQ and immigrant rights advocate, Juventino brings lived experience and legal expertise to every space he enters. His leadership has spanned organizing, nonprofit executive roles, legal advocacy, and public appointments — including service on the Governor’s Council on Latino Affairs, MN Immigrant Law Center’s Policy Committee, and Portico Healthnet.

Juventino has been honored with numerous awards, including the Ohtli Award (the highest recognition from the Mexican government to Mexicans abroad), Immigrant of Distinction from MN-Dakotas AILA, and Augsburg University’s Decade Award.

Today, Juventino speaks across the country on immigration, DACA, LGBTQ identity, higher education, and the power of civic engagement. He holds a Juris Doctor, with a Native American Law and Sovereignty Certificate, from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a B.A. from Augsburg University.

To book Juventino for keynotes, panels, or workshops, contact: info[at]juventino-meza.com.

Some of Juventino's newsworthy involvement:

May 12, 2025 - Minnesota Lawyer, Laura Brown 

Long undocumented immigrant becomes attorney

Juventino Meza is one of just a handful of undocumented immigrants to earn a law degree in Minnesota. Now, he has been sworn in as an attorney.

June 11, 2025 - Mpls/St Paul Magazine, Madeline Cisneros

The Minneapolis Courthouse Gets Corny

A new crop art exhibit, Seeds of Justice, is on display at the Diane E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse, featuring 17 pieces that depict significant figures and events about U.S. democracy.

One of the artworks on display includes Meza’s piece, which depicts Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who served as a big inspiration for Meza to attend law school. For Meza, creating a crop art portrait of the Supreme Court Justice was a way to honor his idol and his family’s agricultural roots.

May 1, 2025 - Sahan Journal, Alfonso Galvan

A May 'Day Without Immigrants:' Minnesota workers stand up

Ahead of a May Day rally for workers and immigrant rights, a carpenter, a rideshare driver, an entrepreneur and a lawyer talk about the hard work that helped them build lives here.

April 4, 2025 — Star Tribune, Alicia Eler

'Seeds of Justice' crop art exhibition at U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis takes on the law

Juventino Meza, a lawyer who serves on the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, created the portrait of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who inspired him to go to law school.

December 14, 2024 - River Radio, Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson 

Trump's Next War on Immigrants

Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson explore what lies ahead as the Trump administration pursues its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Guests include Twin Cities immigration attorney Marc Prokosch (3:00) about how the process works today and what changes may lie ahead; and Mexican immigrant Juventino Meza (24:30), who shares his experiences as a participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Dec 12, 2023 — Star Tribune, Laura Yuen

Yuen: After years of hustle and hardship, this undocumented Minnesotan finally earns a law degree

Juventino Meza is believed to be one of a handful of undocumented immigrants to receive a law degree in Minnesota.

September 17, 2017 - WCCO & CBS Minnesota

Video: DACA-holder calls Trump-deadline to get rid of DACA "arbitrary and cruel"